Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-05-23

and the honors of war, for the bodies of
those who dropped from the ratlines into
the sea or went down with all on board
under the stroke of gunboat there re-
mained the shark and the whale and the
endless tossing of the sea which cannot
rest. How will you find their graves for
this national decoration? Nothing but
the Archangel's trumpet shall reach their
lOwly bed. A few Of them have been
gathered into naval cemeteries Of the land,
and you will garland the sod that covers
them, but who will put flowers on the
fallen crew of the exploded Westfield and
Shawsheen, and the sunken Southfield,
and the Winfield Scott? Bullets threat
ening in front, bombs threatening from
above, torpedoes threatening from be-
meath and the ocean with its reputation of
six thousand years for sbipwreck lying all
around, am not right in saying it re-
quired a special courage for the navy?
1t looks picturesque and beautiful to
see
WAR VESSEL GOING OUT
through the Narrows, sailors in a new rig
singing:
"A life on the ocean wave,
home on the rolling deep
the colors gracefully dipping to passing
ships, the decks Immediately clean, the
guns at Quarantine firing parting salute.
But the poetry is all gone out Of that ship
as it comes out of that engagement, its
decks red with human blood, wheel-house
gone, the cabins pile of shattered mirrors
and destroyed furniture, steering-wheel
broken, smoke-stack crushed, hundred
pound Whitworth rifle shot having left its
mark from port to starbOard, the shrouds
rent away, ladders splintered and decks
ploughed up, and smoke-blacked and
scalded corpses lying among those who are
gasping their last gasp far away from home
and kindred, whom they love as much as
we love wife and parents and children.
Not waiting until you are dead to put
upon your graves n wreath of recognition,
this hour we put upon your living brow
the garland of a nations praise
o, men ofthe Western Gulf squadron, of
the Eastern Gulf squadron, of the North
Atlantic squadron, of the Mississippi
squadron, of the Pacific squadron, of the
West India squadron and of the Potomac
tlOotilla, hear our thanks! Take the bene
diction Of our churches. Accept the hospi-
talities of the nation. If we had our way
we would get You not only pension but
home and princely wardrobe; and an
equipage and banquet while you live,
and after your departure catatalque, and
a mausoleum of sculptured marble, with n
model of the ship in which you won the
day. 1t is considered n gallant thing
when in a naval fight the flagship with
its blue ensign goes ahead up a river or into
q bay. its admiral standing in the shrouds
watching and giving orders. But l have
to tell you, q veterans of the American
navy! if you are rs loyal to Christ as you
were to the Government, there is a flag
ship sailing ahead Ofyou which
CHRIST IL THE ADMIRAL,
and lie watches from the shrouds, and the
heavens are the blue ensign, and He leads
you towards the harbOr, and all the broad
sides of earth and hell cannot damage you,
and We, whose garments were once red with
your own blood shall have a robe washed
and made white in the blood OF the
Lamb. Then strike eight bells! High
noon in Heaven.
With such anticipation, . veterans Of
the American navy! | charge you bear up
under the aches aud Weaknesses that you
still carry from the war times. You are
not ~ stalwart ~ you would have been
but for that nervous strain aud for that
terrific exposure. let every ache and
pain, instead OF depressing, remind you
of your fidelity. The sinking of the Wee
hawkcn off Morris Island, December6 1863,
was mystery. She was not under fire.
The sea was not rough. But Admiral
Dahlgrcn from the deck of the flagship
Philadelphia, saw her gradually sinking,
and finally she struck the ground, but the
flag still tloated above the wave IN the
sight of the shipping, 1t was afterwards
found that she sank from weakness
through injuries in previous service. Her
plates had been knocked loose in previous
times. So you have in nerve, and muscle,
and bone, and dimmed eyesight, and dith
cult hearing, and shOrtnesS of breath,
many intimations that yOu are gradually
going down. Ii is the service of twenty
three years ago that is telling on you. BE
of good cheer. We owe you Just rs much
rs though your life-blood had gurgled
through the scuppers Of the ship IN the
Red River expedition, or AZ though You
had zone down with the Melville off Hat
teras. Only keep your flag flying as did
the illusiriOus Weehawken.
Good cheer, my boys
THE MEMORY or MAN IL POOR,
and all that talk about the country never
forgetting those who fought for it is an un-
truth. 1t does forget. Witness how the
veterans sometimes had to turn the hand
organs on the street To get their families
living Witness how ruthlessly some of
them have been turned out of office that
some bluat of politician might take their
place. Witness the fact that there IL not
n man or woman now under thirty years
of age, who has any appreciation Of the
four wears martyrdOm OF 1851 to 1865 in
elusive. But while men may forget, God
never forgets. He remembers the swing
ing hammock. He remembers the fore
castle. He remembers the frozen ropes Of
that January tempest. He remembers the
amputatiOn without sufficient ether. lie
remembers the horrors of that deafening
night when forts from both sides belched
on their fury, and the heavens glowed with
the ascending and descending missiles OF
death, and your ship quaked under the re-
coil of the one hundred FOUNDER, while all
the gunners, accordingtO command, stood
on tiptoe with mouth wide open lest the
concussiOn shatter hearing or brain. He
remembers il all better than you Temem-
Der it, and in some shape reward will be
given. God is the best af all paymasters,
and for those who do their whole duty 10
Him and the world the pension awarded
| il an everlasting heaven.
Sometimes off the coast of England the
Royal Family have inspected the British
navy nianocuvered before them for that
purpose. In the Baltic Sea the Car and
Czarina have reviewed the Russian navy.
To bring before the American people the
nEBT THEY OWE TO THE NAVY.
90 ont with you on the Atlantic ocean,
where there is plenty Of room, and in i'm
agination review the waI-shipping Of our
three great confiicts-177B. 1912 and 1885.
Swing into line all We frigates, ironclads,
fire-rafts, gunboas and men-of-war
There they come, all sail set and all fur
! Daosu In NIlI blast sheayes of crystal toss.